Women share stories of humanitarian service on International Women's Day

Posted by Jane Lawicki on Mar 11, 2017

[Excerpts taken from Rotary.org blog]

What motivates everyday women to do extraordinary things — to positively change the lives of people halfway around the world while inspiring so many folks at home? Razia Jan, the founder and director of the Zabuli Education Center, was honored on International Women's Day.

Three Rotary members answered that question at a celebration of International Women’s Day hosted by the World Bank at its Washington, D.C., headquarters 8 March.

Speaking to an audience of more than 300, with thousands listening to the live-stream, Razia Jan, Deborah Walters, and Ann Lee Hussey told their personal stories and explained what inspired them to build a girls school in Afghanistan, assist people living in a Guatemala City garbage dump, and lead more than 24 teams to immunize children in Africa and Asia.

“I’m so inspired to see the faces of the children, what they’re learning, how to stand up for their rights, to have ambition ... to want to do things that may even be impossible — to have dreams,” said Jan, a member of the Rotary Club of Duxbury, Massachusetts, USA. An Afghan native now living in the United States, Jan has worked for decades to build connections between Afghans and Americans while improving the lives of young women and girls in Afghanistan.

...for more details on this Women's day celebration go to www.rotary.org/en/rotary-women-inspire-international-womens-day